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Community values make heritage town best tourist destination

Food, religion, lifestyle, architecture, festivals and temples; these have all helped make World Heritage listed Luang Prabang special in the region.

One of its unique assets that some tourists may not be aware of is its traditional community values.

Walking through small streets around the town, if tourists pay close attention, they will probably notice how families, kids and neighbourhoods associate with each other, sharing smiles, laughter and contributing to community work in their village and temples.

Globalisation and industrialisation have forced people to be more independent and sometimes they ignore family values, even in Laos. However this is not the case in Luang Prabang, that was granted World Heritage status in 1995.

Local villagers have retained their strong community values, which contributes to the uniqueness of their town. The vast majority of people here heavily rely on tourism. Even though some families do not make a lot of money from tourists, they say they live happily in this peaceful community.

This uniqueness has separated Luang Prabang from other provinces and countries in the region. Significantly, it can maintain its title as the must see traditional town in the region.

Every year, there are millions of people visiting the province, of which Thai tourists number the greatest.

This year, more than 2 million visitors are expected to pass through Luang Prabang.

There are many things that make the province the best tourist destination, one of which is its strong community values that intrigue people around the world.